Oil-cleaning apparatus.



5 SHBBT8-SHEET 1.

PATENTED FEBJ18, 1908.

L. W. BROWN. OIL CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATIOI rum) MAR 21 1907 No. 879,728. PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908.

L. BROWN. OIL CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAE.21, 1907.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES INVENTO/Y m w A LINus WBEDWN.

A MMVQ No. 879,728. PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908. L. W. BROWN.

OIL CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21. 1907.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

INVENTOH LINLTS W.BREIWN WITNESSES A TTOHNEYS- No. 879,728. PATENTED FEB.18, 1908. L. W. BROWN.

OIL CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21,1907.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

W/TNESSES INVENTOI? Lmu s W EREIWN ATTORNEYS 'hTo all whom it may concern:

UNITED. STATES LINUS W. BROWN, OF BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA.

OIL-CLEANING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1908.

Application filed March 21} 1907. Serial No. 363.762-

Be it known that I, LINUs W. BROWN, a

' citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bakersfield, in the county of Kern and the State of California, have invented an Ap- .paratus for Removing Sand from Oil by a Continuous Operation, of which the following[is a specification.

' use the exhaust steam from engine driving oil well as a heating agent for rendering oil limpid andheating and keeping hot a body of water in separating tank, causing sand to mechanically separate and precipitate therefrom; live steam may be used if desired. The apparatus is adapted to be connected with an oil well pump and a steam engine and boiler, and to operate continuously and clean the oil as fast as produced from the ground.

The details of construction, arrangement,

- and operation of the apparatus areas hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 1s a perspective view of the entire apparatus, portions being broken away to' s ow interior construction and arrangement of parts. Fig. 2 is a perspective-viewpart being broken away-of the oil-receiving and.

sand-so arating tank with supporting platform. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the sep arating tank. Fig. 4 is a large vertical section of the lower portion of the separating tank, the plane of section being atright angles to that shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5'is-a horizontal section of the separating tankon line 55 of Fi 4. Fig. 6 is'a side view of a sandthle Fig. 7 (Sheet 1) is a vertical section of the upper portion of the oil-receiving and se arating tank. Fig. 8 (Sheet2) is a vertica section of the lower portion of the separating tank showing the sluiceway for discharging sand.

may be discharged into the tank 11.

crimes thin or limpid so that the heavy part glpe 12 having discharge openings or slots 13. I

of hot water in the tank 11, from which it is fi'nally discharged, as will be presently exlained. Steam, preferably exhaust steam om the engine, is employed to operate the pump 2 and is conveyed through pipe 14 to what I term a dry heater, arranged in the tank 11. The same comprises vertical pipes 16 and 19 and smaller connecting or transverse pipes 18 and 20. As indicated by section, the transverse partition, or diaphragm, 17 is arranged in the middle of the pipe 16, whereby the course of the steam is upward through the lower half of the pipe 16, thence to the right through pipes 18 into the vertical pipe 19, which has no partition or diap si From the upper 1portion of the pipe 19 steam passes throng transverse pipes 20 to the upper leg or portion 01 the pipe 16 which is above the diaphragm 17, and. thence into the pipe 21 which extends up through the top of the tank 11 and connects at the top by means of a T 23 with horizontal pipes 2425 w'hich are'provided respectively with stopcocks 26-27. The pipe 25 connects with a pipe 31 that extends downward and enters the side of the tank 11 and saves water of condensation. The pipe 30 is a vent into the atmosphere, being connected with pipes 25- 31 by means of a T 29. The other horizontal steam pipe 24 is provided with a check valve 24 and connects with a verticalpipe 24 that extends down to the T' 9 to which the pipes 3 and 10 are also attached. This enables steam to be introduced in case the volume of oil delivered into the tank in a,

given time is sufficient to require more heat than the dry heater 16, 19, 18, 20, can furnish.

It will now be understood that, when steam is admitted through pipe 14to the dry heater composed of parts 16-1918'20 as described, it takes the course already indicated and thereby heats the contents of the tank which has been filled by means of the zont'al pipe 12-. From inspection of Figs. 1,

4, 5, it will be perceived that, owing to the heater, whereby it is heated quickly and the division or separation of sand most efiectively promoted. It will be further seen that a body of water accumulates in the bottom or lower portion of the tank 1 1 and is kept hot by the steam-heater, and as the oil with contained sand falls into such water the grains of sand se arate from'the oil enveloping them.

The ot water should be kept at or near half the height ofthe tank 11, or .to the level of the telltale-see Figs. 1 and 2composed of pipe 54 having a cock 55 outside the tank w 'ch discharges into the funnel of a pipe 57 leading to the well-casing. Thus the function of the tell-tale is to enable the operator to ascertain at any time that the hot water is at the required height in the tank. The sand separates from the heated oil .and falls to the bottom of the tank where it is discharged at intervals by operating a valve 39 as will bepresently explained. The bottom of the tank is provided with an opening which is normally closed by a hollow conical valve.

39see Figs. 1 and 4 which valve is maintained in closed ositionby the weight of the contents of tan 11. The valve 39 is provided with a circular knife-edge... that seats upon the metal strip '42 held in a groove in the circular seat 40. The water pipe 43 is connected with the chamber of the valve and the latter has side openings 47-from which water escapes in jets. As shown in Fig. 1 the pipe 43 has a stop-cock 44 for regulating the discharge of water into the valve. For the purpose of lifting the valve from its seat together with the attached pipe 43, when it,is desired to allow discharge of sand, I employ a lever 51, see Figs. 1 and 4, the same being pivoted at 52 and connected with the valve 39 through the medium of a pivoted link 49':

When it 1s necessary to operate the valve 39, the water-cock 44 is first opened'-see Fig.

. 1so that jets oiwater issue from the small holes 47 and have the effect of breaking up cakes or hardened strata of sand thereby facilitating its discharge from the tank.

It will be understood that water being heavier than oil'will occupy the lower portion of the tank to the exclusion of the oil and that consequently the sand will be I washed out and discharged by water escaping. from the tank through the valve opening without carrying the oil with it the sand bein discharged nto sluiceway -53 and thus de ivered away from the apparatus. An additional quantity of water maybe admitted to the. tank through pipe 74 having pendent branches or portions 76 whose ends are provided with jet attachments 7 7 The valve platform or trestle.

39 is provided-see Fig. -3with a pendent pipe 45 having valve 46 to permit discharge of water from it when required. The valve is guided in its-vertical movement by means of rods 31 which are arranged'aroundit and fixed in the valve seat 40.

Within the upper portion of the tank 11 are arranged .two baffle plates 32-33. The baffle plate 32 is annular and its outer. edge is secured to the sides of the tank as shown in Fig. 3. The upper baiile plate is supported on the lower by means of short pillars or posts and is separated by considerable space from the side of the tank. A partition 34 rests on plate 33 and prevents sand 30 flowing over with the oil.

As oil rises in the tank it flows over the baflie plate 33 and over the partition 34,

.which holds back any portion ofthe sandthat might still remain in the oil and escapes through pipe 59 into the receiving tank 58 located alongside tank 11 and supported as shown in Fig. 1, upon a suitable This tank is provided with a water gage 60 and with a water discharge pipe 61 that is provided with a quickopening valve 62,. A water supply pipe 63- having a stop-cock 64 enters the side of the tank and may be arranged to discharge at any point therein. A discharge pipe '65 having a conical nozzle 66 is arranged within the tank 58 and jointed at 67 to an exterior pipe 68 that connects with the pump 69.

The joint 67 permits the nozzle 66 to be adjusted to and held at any convenient height and thus regulate the depth of oil supernatant on the water in the tank. The pump 69 is connected with a pipe 70 leading to any point where the oil is to be stored, etc., and steam pipes.71 are connected with pipes 68 and 70 and provided,with valves 72 for use in clearing out said ipes when required. overflow pipe 73 1s connected with the top of the receiving tank 58 and extends to pipe 57 connected with the oil casing 1.

It. will .be seen that my apparatus is adapted for removing sand from o tinuous operation, the oil with contained a sand being pumped directly from a well into the tank 11, and therein treated to free it of by a consand,-the oil being carried over into a second tank from which it is pumped away. :I utilize exhaust steam from the engine that operates the oil-well pump, and thus efiect an important economy. a

I employ a sand-thief, or sand-testing device, consisting of a disk 38, and a rod 37. Two of these are employed the rods being made long enough to ass through the top of-the separating ta 11 and permit the disks to be carried down in the tank to the required depth, The rodsare connected by cord or rope passing over pulleys, as shown in Fig. 6. These devicesare for the purpose of detecting onascertaihing'the amountof sand in the separating tank and thus they indicate when it is necessary to remove the sand therefrom. In practical operation, the disk 38 is lowered until it rests on the sand that has accumulated in the tank, andthe amount of sand will be indicated by the depth to which the disk descends before coming in contact with or resting on the surface of the body of sand. The disk arranged above the upper bafile late 33 is seldom used but it may be usefu at times to enable one to ascertain if any sand has accumulated on the baffle plate 33. The disks 38 are raised and lowered as re uired bysliding the rods 37 up or down. hen it is desired to discontinue the use of the apparatus, the

valve 19 of pipe 19 is opened to allow water of condensation to escape from the tubular heater.

-What I claim is: V

1. The apparatus for separating sand from oil comprising an oil-receiving and separating tank havi a bottom-opening and a valve which normally closes the same and controls the discharge of sand, a tubular steam heater arranged in the body of the tank, an exterior steam pipe connected therewith, and an oil pump arranged exteriorly and a pipe conlnectmg the same with the tank, as described.

2. The improved apparatus for the purpose specified comprising an oil-receiving and separating tank having a bottom opening and a valve for controlling discharge of sand thereat, a tubular steam Theater arranged in the tank and a steam-pipe connection extending outside the latter, an oil pipe connected therewith and extending into the 1 tank, and a pipe connecting the steam heater 1 and separatin With such oil pipe whereby steam is mingled Withthe oil'as introduced into the tank, as described. 7,

3. The combination with an oil-receiving and separating tankand a steam heater therein, of an oil pump and 'an oil pipe connecting it with the said tank, and a steam plpe connected with such oil pipe whereby steam is discharged into the oil as it flows 1nto the tank, in the manner described.

4. The combination with the oil-receiving and separating tank having a bottom opening and a valve controlling discharge of sand therefrom, of a steam heater arranged in said tank and composed of vertical tubes, one of which is centrally provided with a hollow partition or diaphragm, and a series of small tubes connecting the two larger vertical tubes above and'below the said diaphragm, and a steam pipe connected with the heater and extending outside the tank, in the manner described. w

5, The combination with the oil-receiving tank of an oil pump and a pipe connecte therewith and exten ing into the said tank, a'tubular steam heater also arranged in said tank and having a vertical extension passing through the top of the tank and having a branch pipe provlded with a stop-cock and extending down and, connected with the oil pipe, in the manner described.

6. The combination with the oil-receiving and separating tank having a bottom opening and a heater arranged therein, of a valve for disc arging oil into the tank, as shown and described.

8. The combination with the oil-receiving and separatin tank and a heater arranged therein, of ba e plates arranged in the upper portion of the tank, one of the same being annular in form and secured to the side of the tank and the other being disk-shaped and arranged and supported above the annular one, and a lateral oil discharge pipe connected with the tank above the upper baffle plate, as shown and described.

9. The combination with an oil-receiving and separating tank of a baffle plate arranged in the up or portion of the same, and having a vertica flange extending from side to side of the tank and a discharge pi e connected with the tank above the ba e plate and opposite said flange whereby oil falling over the flange escapes from the tank, as described.

10. The combination with the oil-receiving and separating tank having a bottom opening and a valve thereat 'for controlling discharge of sand, and a heater arranged in the tank, of a sand-thief comprising a disk and rod, the latter being arranged to slide through the top of the tank in the manner.115 described. f

11. The improved apparatus for the purpose specified comprising a separating tank and heater therein, said tank having a lateral discharge pipe arranged at the top and a tank for receiving the oil freed from sand, an oil discharge pipe arranged in said tank and ointed so that its free end may be placed higher or lower, and a suction pump arranged exteriorly and a pipe connecting 1t with the jointed pipe within the tank, as shown and described.

12.. The oil and sand separating tank having a discharge opening in its base, a valve therefor which is constructed with a 30" chamber having lateral outlets, and a watertwo subscribing Witnesses at Bakersfield,

pipe attached to the base of the valve, and Kern county, California, this 13th day of means for raising said Valve with the at- March A.D. 1907. tached pipe from its seat to allow discharge, LINUS W. BROWN. 5 of sand, as shown and described. Witnesses:

- In'testimony whereof, I have signed my GEORGE HAY, name to this specification in the presence of G. F. TEILHET; 

